Schoolboard combination



Jan. 23, 1962 A. M. MASTERS SCHOOLBOARD COMBINATION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 29. 1960 iN VNToRQ HL BER 7' M. Mas TERS BY dZ Z HT TORNEY Jan. 23, 1962 A. M. MASTERS SCHOOLBOARD COMBINATION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 29. 1960 g ggmmmm INVENTOR.

HLBERT M Mas TERS u gmu HTTORNEY United rates Patent 3,017,704 SCHOOLBOARD COMBINATIQN Albert M. Masters, P0. Box 155, Pen Argyl, Pa. Filed Feb. 29, 1960, Ser. No. 11,507 Claims. (Cl. 3563) The invention relates to a board combination commonly used in schools including a vertical board or panel having at least one surface serving as a chalkboard, corkboard, flannelboard, pegboard and the like. It is desirable that the vertical board have opposite functional surfaces or faces of different character, and be reversible so that either surface may be used, for example, a chalkboard on one side and a corkboard on the other. A double surface board is mounted in such a manner that the board may be reversed to bring the desired surface to the outside. The invention is directed more particularly to an additional member or members associated with the vertical board or panel which holds the board slanted outwardly and also serves as a working shelf or palette. Another member is a hinged workboard permanently attached in place and which is stored behind the vertical board when not in use.

It is an object of the invention to construct a vertical board which is hingedly mounted and has a simple palette which is removably and reversibly attachable to the bottom of the vertical board in order to tilt the vertical board to different angles and in order to provide in addition, a different working facility projecting outwardly from the lower edge of the vertical board.

Another object is to construct a vertical board combination which is hingedly mounted and has a workboard permanently mounted on the frame on hinge means with the pivot of the hinge means so located that the workboard may be pivoted out of the way in back of the vertical board or pivoted horizontally to project outwardly in working position and beneath the vertical board.

Another object is to construct a vertical board combination which is hingedly mounted and has a reversible palette member which is reversibly received at the bottom of the vertical board so that the board may be tilted to a plurality of angles, the palette member having different surfaces or working facilities projecting outwardly beyond the lower edge of the board and the combination in addition providing a workboard which is hingedly mounted on a pivot means located behind the back face of the vertical board and below the lower edge thereof so that the workboard may be swung out of the way behind the vertical board or swung into useful or working position extending horizontally outwardly beneath the vertical board.

A still further object is to construct a pivotally mounted vertical board having a work surface on at least one face thereof and a palette which is reversibly receivable between its opposite edges and receivable at one of these edges by the bottom of the vertical board so that the board may be selectively tilted thereby to three different angles and at two of these angles providing a different work surface or facility projecting outwardly from the vertical board.

Another object is to support a vertical board or panel solely at the four corners thereof to provide for warping or bending.

Other objects of the invention will be more apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment thereof in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of the vertical board or panel slanted outwardly a relatively large angle by the palette and with a workboard hinged out of the way in back of the vertical board;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but shows the vertical board tilted outwardly at a smaller angle and supported in tilted position by the palette with the wide portion of the palette extending outwardly from the verical board;

FIG. 3 is a side view with the vertical board hanging straight and with the workboard extending outwardly below the lower edge of the vertical board;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of the palette which has been enlarged with respect to the other views;

FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view of the mounting for the workboard;

FIG. 6 is a side view of a hinge block taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 7;

FIG. 7 is a front view of one full vertical board of a series of adjacent boards;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged view showing another form of construction which provides a back-up and retaining means for the vertical board; and

FIG. 9 is a side View of the structure of FIG. 8 taken on line 99 of FIG. 8. i

The board combination includes a frame it of any suitable form and the frame illustrated is divided into sections to take vertical boards of not too great a width so that one board can be easily handled when reversing and may be assigned to one pupil. The frame consists of a horizontal header or top member 11 and a bottom member or sill 12 as well as vertical sides or mullions 13. As shown a mullion is provided between each board, however, this is not necessary. The frame preferably carries a chalk tray 14 well below the bottom member or sill 12 so that there will be no interference with the other portions of the board combination. At the top of the frame, there may be a rail 15 for mounting maps and the like as well as a cork strip 16. The frame used has a dimension inwardly between the lower portion of 'the rail 15 and the inner flange of the header 11 which is considerably greater than the thickness of the vertical board so that the board is always free. That is, the frame does not restrict any of the edges of the vertical board or panel in any way so that the panel may bend or warp without binding the board to or within the frame.

A vertical board or panel 19 is hingedly mounted in the frame in any suitable way. It is preferable, however, that the vertical board have a different work surface on each surface that is on the front and back thereof so that the board may be reversed to provide the desired working surface. Usually one surface is a chalkboard and the other surface is a corkboard to which paper and other items may be thumbtacked. The mounting means for mounting the vertical board in its section of the frame may take many forms and that illustrated includes a pivot block 20 (FIG. 6) carried by the frame and when the frame has a mullion between each section or board, the pivot block is mounted on each inside face of its mullion by screws 21. The pivot block has a pivot bearing shown as an elongated slot 22 extending downwardly from an inclined upper edge and with an open top. Each vertical side edge of the vertical board or panel carries a pivot pin 23 which is received in the slot of the pivot block. The vertical board, therefore, hinges on the bottom of the slot so that it may be tilted to' a plurality of desired angles.

.3 With an open top slot, the vertical board or panel may be reversed. In order to reverse the board, the lower edge is tilted outwardly and the upper edge lifted to raise the pivots or pins 23 from the slot and then the upper portion of the vertical board is pulled outwardly from the frame. The board is then reinserted in reversed position in a reverse manner.

In order to tilt the vertical board to different angles and to provide a pair of working surfaces, a metallic plate member or palette 27 is provided. This palette is bent along a line parallel to the opposite edges and shown as located aproximately about one fifth of the distance between said opposite edges in order to provide a narrow portion 29 and a wider portion 30. The bend particularly shown is a single bend on an axis 28. The proportions of the narrow portion to the wide portion may be varied considerably. The bend is approximately degrees. In the region of the bend or axis and shown particularly in the wide portion adjacent to the bend are a pair of spaced bayonet slots 31. It is clear the slots may be in either portion. The bottom edge of the panel 19 carries a pair of headed securing members such as screws 32 each of which receives its bayonet slot and attaches the palette to the bottom of the vertical board and particularly at the bottom edge. In this manner the palette may be quickly removed from the bottom edge of the board so that the board may hang vertically or so that the palette may be reversed to change the angularit'y of the vertical board.

In the position of the palette shown in FIG. 2, the narrow portion 29 is inwardly and its edge engages the frame to hold the vertical board at a relatively small slanting angle. The wider portion of the palette then extends horizontally from the lower edge of the vertical board and provides a paint mixing surface. For oil paints the vertical board is tilted at a lesser angle and the wider portion of the palette provides a convenient surface for mixing the oil paints which surface can be readily cleaned. With the palette reversed as shown in FIG. 1, the narrow portion of the palette extends horizontally outwardly from the bottom edge of the vertical board with the wider portion extending inwardly to hold the vertical board at a greater angle of tilt which is more suitable for water color work. The narrow portion of the palette may have a plurality of holes 33 to receive cups which may hold work materials such as water colors.

In order to hold the panel or vertical board at a greater angle of tilt, a pair of bayonet slots 36 of equal spacing as slots 31 are provided through the palette adjacent to the other edge of the wide portion of the palette so that when these bayonet slots are received by the heads of screws 32 in the bottom edge of the vertical board, the board is tilted outwardly at an angle comparable to the full width of the palette. When the palette is installed the rear edge abuts the stationary part of the assembly mounting. The vertical board may be held in slanting or angular position by means such as a pair of brackets or arms 37 pivotally mounted at one end on each edge of the board with the other end having a slot engaging spaced pins 38 carried by the mullion or frame. This bracket will function whichever face of the panel is outward. The palette, however, provides a single member for tilting the board and also provides work facilities in the wide surface or the cup holes. The palette may be employed to retain board 19 in position with or without work surface 40 being in the lowered position. The palette may be stored in the space behind the panel and above the workboard.

Because of the hinge means 41, 42 at or adjacent to the side edges of the workboard, the lower edge of the workboard 40 is raised somewhat above the sill 12 of the frame when in vertical position. This provides a convenient groove to receive the edge of the palette when it is in operative position.

The board combination also includes a workboard 40 which is permanently hinged to the frame and is stored behind the vertical board when not in use. The workboard has a horizontal dimension the same as or approximately the same as that of the vertical board and a lateral dimension less than the vertical dimension of the vertical board. The workboard is mounted on the frame on hinge means 41 shown as two spaced hinges. This hinge means is secured to the frame or particularly the sill 12 thereof and to the workboard and has a pivot 42. The pivot of the hinge means is located adjacent to but inwardly from the back face of the vertical board so that the workboard may be pivoted inwardly into the space behind the vertical board or panel 19. With the center of gravity of the board inwardly of the pivot, it normally leans inwardly without need for a securing means. The pivot is also located adjacent to the lower edge of the vertical board and below the same by at least the thickness of the workboard so that when it is desired to use the workboard it may be hinged downwardly to project outwardly beneath the vertical board.

Suitable means are used to retain and support the workboard in horizontal position, that shown including a chain 44 at each side edge of the workboard, one end of each chain being secured to the workboard adjacent to the forward or front edge and the other end to the frame or mullions 11 when provided or to the wall if there are no spacing mullions. Sometimes children will sit on these workboards and this support assures that the frame will not be bent out of shape by any such activity. If this were not a problem, a simple stop means could be used, adjacent to each hinge such as the bottom of the workboard engaging the sill or spaced flanges 45, which flanges engage the outer portion or edge of the sill 12 when the workboard is in horizontal position. With the preferred chain construction, the flanges need not engage the sill. These flanges also serve a second function as a retaining and supporting means for the vertical board in that they extend beneath the lower edge of the vertical board when the workboard is swung into the storage space. This panel supporting means includes a groove or depression 46 in the upper surface of each flange and a knob, such as the head of a screw or rivet 47 or a bullet type of flexible knob, carried by the lower edge of the board, which is received in this depression. The flanges are so located that when the workboard is hinged inwardly or into the stored space, the vertical board may be lifted slightly to bring each head or knob 46 into its depression to thereby releasably hold and support the vertical board in vertical position. It is desirable too that when so positioned, the pivot pins 23 are raised above the bottom of the slots 22 so that these pivot pins support or restrain the panel solely in a lateral direction.

The mounting means described gives support for the vertical board or panel at the four corners thereof so that the vertical board may warp or bend, as it sometimes do% and will not cramp or bind within the frame. If desired the pivot for the workboard may be located below the lower edge of the vertical board by an amount closely approximating the thickness of the workboard. When this is done the lower edge of the vertical board will hold the workboard in down or horizontal position against anyone accidentally or intentionally striking the workboard upwardly.

It is understood that a single unit may be mounted on vertical tracks to permit raising and lowering of the unit for crippled pupils using wheel chairs or for small children.

In the construction illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 7, the vertical board or panel does not have any structure backing up the bottom of the panel when the workboard is projecting outwardly. When writing on the chalkboard, it tends to swing inwardly. There is shown in FIG. 8 a construction which does provide a backing up means or structure for the lower part of the vertical board as well as means for retaining the vertical board in releasable fixed position whether the workboard is in the storage space or is projecting outwardly. In this construction the corner 50 of the workboard is cut out and a backing up member or block 51 is secured to the frame or particularly to the mullion by screws 52 and is engaged by the back of the panel.

The screws 52 also secure an angle member 53 to the back up block and the frame which angle member has an outwardly extending flange 54. This flange carries a depression or groove which receives the screw head 47 carried on the lower edge of the vertical board or panel '19. This backing-up block and retaining means remains in place irrespective of the position of the workboard so that the vertical board or panel is backed up by the block 51 at all times and the vertical board retaining and support means is available at all times to support the panel irrespective of the position of the workboard.

The pivot blocks 20 secured to the inside edges of the mullions, space the vertical edges of the vertical board from the frame or mullions so that the board will always hang freely of the frame irrespective of any warping or bending of said board. Also this spacing provides sufficient gap to pass the chain '44 or other means provided to support the workboard when it is in outwardly projected position.

This invention is presented to fill a need for improvements in a schoolboard combination. It is understood that various modifications in structure, as well as changes in mode of operation, assembly, and manner of use, may and often do occur to those skilled in the art, especially after benefltting from the teachings of an invention. This disclosure illustrates the preferred means of embodying the invention in useful form.

What is claimed is:

1. A board combination such as used in schools comprising a frame, a vertical board having a functional surface on at least one face thereof, mounting means carried by the frame and board to hingedly mount the board on the frame adjacent to the upper edge thereof, a palette having opposite edges, and cooperating separable attaching means carried by the palette spaced a substantial distance from and between opposite parallel edges thereof and by the bottom of the vertical board to removably mount the palette on the bottom of the vertical board with a portion of the palette forming a shelf in front of the vertical board and with the rearward edge of the palette engaging another part of the combination to hold the vertical board at an angle with respect to the frame.

2. A board combination such as used in schools comprising a frame, a vertical board having a functional surface on at least one face thereof, mounting means carried by the frame and board to hingedly mount the board on the frame adjacent to the upper edge thereof, a palette having opposite edges and a bend along an axis spaced between and parallel with the opposite edges, the bend being spaced nearer one edge to form a relatively narrow portion and a wider portion, the narrow portion having mounting holes therein, the bend being in the region of a degree angle, and cooperating separable attaching means carried by the palette in the region of the bend and by the bottom of the vertical board to reversibly mount the palette on the bottom of the vertical board with the rearward edge of the palette engaging another part of the combination to hold the vertical board at one of two different angles of inclination and with one of the portions of the palette in front of the vertical board.

3. A board combination as in claim 2 in which the vertical board has a usable surface on each opposite face thereof, the mounting means reversibly mounting the vertical board.

4. A board combination as in claim 2 including second separable attaching means carried in the Wider portion of the palette and adjacent to an edge of the palette for cooperation with the attaching means on the bottom of the board to hold the vertical board at a third angle of tilt.

5. A board combination such as used in schools comprising a frame, a vertical board having a usable surface on at least one side thereof and a back face and lower edge, a workboard, the frame having a depth at least equal to the thickness of the vertical board and the workboard, mounting means carried by the frame and the vertical board at the upper portion thereof to hingedly mount the vertical board on the frame, the mounting means being forwardly in the frame providing a space behind the vertical board, hinge means secured to the frame and to the workboard and having a pivot, the hinge means pivot being adjacent to and below the lower edge of the vertical board by at least the thickness of the workboard whereby the workboard may be pivoted outwardly to project underneath the vertical board, the hinge means pivot being adjacent to and inwardly of the plane of the back face of the vertical board whereby the workboard may be stored out of the way in the space behind the vertical board, means to support the workboard horizontally, a palette having opposite edges and a bend along an axis spaced between opposite edges and parallel thereto with the bend spaced from the edges to form a relatively narrow portion and a wider portion, the narrow portion having mounting holes therein, the bend being in the region of 15 degrees, and separable attaching means carried by the palette adjacent to the bend and by the bottom of the vertical board to reversibly mount the palette thereon whereby the rearward edge of the palette engages another part of the combination to hold the vertical board at one of two different angles.

6. A board combination as in claim 5 in which the vertical board has a functional surface on each opposite face thereof, the pivotal mounting means for the vertical board being separable for reversing the vertical board, and means carried by one of the parts including the frame and the workboard when in stored position engaging the bottom of the vertical board to support the latter.

7. A board combination such as used in schools comprising a frame, a vertical board having a usable surface on at least one side thereof and a back face and a lower edge, a workboard, the frame having a depth at least equal to the thickness of the vertical board and the workboard, mounting means canried by the frame and vertical board to hingedly mount the vertical board on the fname at the upper portion of said board, the mounting means being forwardly in the frame providing a space behind the vertical board, hinge means secured to the frame and secured to the workboard and having a pivot, the hinge means pivot being adjacent to and below the lower edge of the vertical board by at least the thickness of the workboard whereby the workboard may be projected outwardly beneath the lower edge of the vertical board, the hinge mean pivot being adjacent to and inwardly of the plane of the back face of the vertical board whereby the workboard may be pivoted out of the way in the space behind the vertical board, and means secured to the workboard to support the same in horizontal position.

8. A board combination as in claim 7 in which the vertical board has vertical edges, including supporting means carried by one of the parts including the frame and the workboard located beneath and engaging the vertical board adjacent the vertical edges of said board to support the latter.

9. A board combination as in claim 8 in which the supporting means includes a backing-up means carried by the frame and engaging the back of the vertical board when hanging straight, and a flange carried by the backingup means located beneath the vertical board and in posirich for the lower edge of said board to rest thereon.

10. A board combination as in claim 8 in which the supporting means includes a flange carried by the workboard adjacent each vertical edge thereof and extending outwardly beneath the lower edge of the vertical board when the workboard is positioned in back of the vertical 7 8 board and located so that the lower edge of said board 723,022 Pratt Mar. 17, 1903 rests thereon, 819,847 Bullard May 8, 1906 1,416,555 Hall May 16, 1922 References Cited in the file of this patent 2,092 323 Myer Sept, 7, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 2,726,460 Jecman Dec. 13, 1955 217,289 Kane July 8, 1879 2,746,202 Barkel y 22, 1

516,005 Geer Mar. 6, 1894 

